A crew worked much of the day Monday July 9 to remove the pieces of the champion post oak tree from the Westover neighborhood. The tree came down during the derecho storm of June 29 - 30.
Before the storm, the post oak reached 93 feet tall with a 102 foot wide canopy. This photo was taken in past years for the county's inventory of specimen and champion trees.
At its base, the tree measured about 18 feet in circumference. The trunks and branches had been cabled together to keep them from toppling over from their own weight.
The county took portions of the trunks and branches to an undisclosed location. Many people and organizations have asked for a piece of the tree. The county will make a list of all requests and decide then how best to distribute it.
A lumberjack with a chainsaw removes a limb from the post oak. The state champion is believed to be one of the oldest trees in Virginia. The tree was believed to date to the mid-1700s.
